How the Economic Crisis/Recession has Affected Your Job and Your Employer

[VIT]

Re: How the Economic Crisis/Recession has Affected Your Job and Your Employer

Working in oil industry in engineering position I still feel pretty good. Even most companies stopped the rush for new people I do not foresee the layouts in US. If it will be really ugly I would expect companies will force to retire baby boomers. . My company stopped recruiting professionals with 15-20+ year of experience but still recruiting fresh folks. The only bad thing with these oil prices that the salary will stop the recent rapid growth.

You still want to drive the car so we need to find, develop and produce fuel for it :cool:

[Jay]

Re: How the Economic Crisis/Recession has Affected Your Job and Your Employer

I am a doc in a community Emergency Department in the northeast. Our volume is down 10% this year. I don't know if it is people unwilling to pay the co-pay, coverage is down or if it is a fluke. It has forced our group to cut back coverage hours which has been workable so far but can be dicey when multiple unstable patients present at the same time. We are running very thin at the moment, as our payer population wasn't great to begin with.
The hospital itself has had solvency issues, which up until recently I figured would not be an issue as someone would eventually back us, if even the state. Now I am not so sure as state budgets are getting killed and we could go under. Fortunately our group is affiliated with a large university and there are multiple job openings in the area. I don't own a house and my job is portable, so we will be fine as a family. The local community I am concerned about, however.

[Guest]

Re: How the Economic Crisis/Recession has Affected Your Job and Your Employer

Sorry folks. I can't help but note the overwhelming impression of this thread, which has "awarded itself" five stars - is a golden opportunity for everyone to proudly trot out their credentials. :rolleyes: It's the credentials which are being lavished with all the attention here - the report from the ground on the deteriorating business conditions is looking distinctly like the window dressing for the main exercise. A collection of well dressed gentlemen all depositing their smart looking business cards - like one of those upscale cafe's, where everyone gets to see and be seen. (yawn). I do apologize, my enthusiasms get so wilted by any traces of pomposity. Now doubtless a few red faced and grievously affronted contributors will lambast me for this unseemly confession. ;)

I think this video is appropriate here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoIvd3zzu4Y

[FRED]

Re: How the Economic Crisis/Recession has Affected Your Job and Your Employer

I think this video is appropriate here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoIvd3zzu4Y

American Psycho: One of the Top Ten Best Movies Ever. Thanks for posting that.

[serge_oc]

Re: How the Economic Crisis/Recession has Affected Your Job and Your Employer

As incredible as it sounds, the economic times reflect on the mighty OC (Orange County) too...

Only in the last few months or so have I noticed the signs.

First my company canceled Christmas dinner. It's a private software company (about 200 people) and they tell us everything is great, best quarter ever, but you know what, it would look bad to our customers if we had Christmas dinner.

Literally in those very words. No one I spoke with in the company is exactly sure if we're doing wonderful, or if we're going to close doors in a few months. This all happened after they fired 25% of workforce.

My girlfriend started working two jobs, but after a few months realized that if more money means feeling like sh*t all the time, then screw the money.

So we spend less. No more stupid gifts, it's junk anyway. If people want to be offended, f*ck them, they're not such good friends anyway.

Other than that, everything is great in Orange County.

[Guinnesstime]

Re: How the Economic Crisis/Recession has Affected Your Job and Your Employer

I work in the accounting & human resource dept. for an A & E firm. The firm has been around for over a hundred year and has very competent management so I have hunch it will make it out of this mess our country is in. Can't say the same for all the staff though... I hope that I will not lose my job. I guess after 911 my company cut down on the admin staff so that we now are a skeleton crew hence the reason I work as an accountant and a HR admin. We have had 2 rounds of layoffs here and one round in our California offices. Mostly architecture types but also a few engineer types. Hopefully there won't be anymore. Our workload is down dramatically, but fortunately we are well diversified in the types of jobs we do so things are still steady and not in the red. I haven't been out of college long enough make enough money to really to put myself in a good position like some of the other itulipers. The way I see it though is if you don't have anything then you don't have anything to lose.

Still appreciate the info and advice I get from itulip.

[The Outback Oracle]

Re: How the Economic Crisis/Recession has Affected Your Job and Your Employer

The company one of my family works for is a rather important player in the Aus financial scene. They have done a lot of cutting lately. It HAS NOT been the baby boomers but the young underlings. They could have kept 5 or 10 underlings for getting rid of one baby boomer!

[aps1087]

Re: How the Economic Crisis/Recession has Affected Your Job and Your Employer

Military IT contractor in Afghanistan. They are always having a hiring surge every 4-5 months it seems. I have never seen someone go home unless they wanted to or they broke General Order #1.

[jacobdcoates]

Re: How the Economic Crisis/Recession has Affected Your Job and Your Employer

Well, I work in the Auto finance dept of regional bank, It has been difficult to say the least. A couple of weeks ago, management canned 15% of the department at lunchtime and this week they canned a bunch of underwriters We have also dropped lines of business. There is one upside to my life, longtime girlfriend has a job with the state and lots of seniority to boot, so it won't be under bridge immediately for me, her or our daughter.

[Verrocchio]

Re: How the Economic Crisis/Recession has Affected Your Job and Your Employer

I think this video is appropriate here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoIvd3zzu4Y

I'd forgotten that scene.

Something wrong? Patrick? You're sweating.

[goadam1]

Re: How the Economic Crisis/Recession has Affected Your Job and Your Employer

I want you all to know that the rich are just fine. They would like to thank you for the bailout but they have a lot to do this Holiday season. I was at the Waverly Inn in New York last night and the mood was merry. A well known media head was holding court. Many people ordered the macaroni and cheese with white truffles ($98). Drivers waited in luxury vehicles idling in the cold.

Also, people were snatching up American Girl dolls at the 5th avenue store like it was 1999.

I imagine they will have to lay off some people to keep up the good life.

Happy Holidays.

[Starving Steve]

Re: How the Economic Crisis/Recession has Affected Your Job and Your Employer

My school district down in Central California has been closing schools because enrollments are down. People are moving out of the area because their hi-tech jobs are gone in San Jose and also because their homes are being foreclosed.

So, contracted teachers are being laid-off, and some have moved. Others have joined the substitute teacher pool--- which has hurt me because I was used to working five days per week as a substitute teacher. My days per week were cut-back in a job-sharing arrangement.

Having enough years substitute teaching, I decided to take my retirement pension --- all $299 per month of it--- and move back to my log house in East Sooke, B.C. And here I am now.

As for teaching employment in the Victoria area, the situation continues to be poor. Enrollments are dropping, so teachers are redundant. No need for subs, either.

One of my daughters is a French language teacher on the mainland in B.C, and her hours have been cut. She is suffering.

So the future looks like: "Welcome to Wal-Mart! Can I help you find anything in the store?"

Stocking shelves at night could be fun, really. Superstore and Wal-Mart in Victoria are hiring.

Tell me about economists! I think the whole lot of them should be put on a show-trial. (Stalin had the right idea.)

[Serge_Tomiko]

Re: How the Economic Crisis/Recession has Affected Your Job and Your Employer

Also, people were snatching up American Girl dolls at the 5th avenue store like it was 1999.

I imagine they will have to lay off some people to keep up the good life.

Happy Holidays.

I don't know about the American Girl store, but I went to the Banana Republic on 5th Ave one block away last friday.... The sale was unreal. I got several fine, classic styled blazers for $120 each. The place was not terribly busy either.

[GRG55]

Re: How the Economic Crisis/Recession has Affected Your Job and Your Employer

My school district down in Central California has been closing schools because enrollments are down. People are moving out of the area because their hi-tech jobs are gone in San Jose and also because their homes are being foreclosed.

So, contracted teachers are being laid-off, and some have moved. Others have joined the substitute teacher pool--- which has hurt me because I was used to working five days per week as a substitute teacher. My days per week were cut-back in a job-sharing arrangement.

Having enough years substitute teaching, I decided to take my retirement pension --- all $299 per month of it--- and move back to my log house in East Sooke, B.C. And here I am now.

As for teaching employment in the Victoria area, the situation continues to be poor. Enrollments are dropping, so teachers are redundant. No need for subs, either.

One of my daughters is a French language teacher on the mainland in B.C, and her hours have been cut. She is suffering.

So the future looks like: "Welcome to Wal-Mart! Can I help you find anything in the store?"

Stocking shelves at night could be fun, really. Superstore and Wal-Mart in Victoria are hiring.

Tell me about economists! I think the whole lot of them should be put on a show-trial. (Stalin had the right idea.)

Seems to me if one is a teacher you have to be where there are lots of young families moving in and having children. One of my sister-in-laws is a teacher "up-Island". For more than 20 years I have been trying to explain the simple concept that you can't expect to have steady work teaching kids when you live in a retirement haven. She has never been able to land a permanent position for very long, always ends up substituting or part-time as she gets bumped by teachers with more seniority as the number of schools in the region shrinks, because the number of kids has been declining steadily for many, many years. Completely deaf to my arguments, and remains in denial. Blames it all on the government. Figures she is entitled to a job doing what she wants to do, wherever she wants to do it, no matter what. I am thankful I married the smart daughter.

[Lone Ranger]

Re: How the Economic Crisis/Recession has Affected Your Job and Your Employer

First post on itulip.

I’m a commercial-advertising photographer in southern California.

So far, business has remained stable compared to the last few years, but clients are asking for “good deals”. My client base is well diversified.

I found itulip a few years ago, so the present situation was foreseen, and I prepared as best I could.

Put most of my savings into gold bullion coins 3 years ago..thanks itulip!

House almost paid off, and I never used it as an ATM machine. Payment is just $ 650 per month.

A close friend owns a small jewelry store. He’ll probably close soon.

Another owns an auto wrecking yard. The scrap price for a crushed car body was $ 300 in July. Now it’s $10 ! Car towing service still ok though.

Another friend has a shipping pallet manufacturing business. He’s down 50% from last year.

My eldest cousin is an independent owner-operator long haul trucker. He’s doing better now that fuel costs have fallen by over 50% from peak last summer.

It’s going to be an interesting year ahead.

Many thanks to itulip, and all the knowledgeable posters here.